India asks UK to ease visa rules

India said it was open to more investment from the UK. Bilateral trade in 2011-12 exceeded $16 billion up from $12.5 billion in 2010-11.

TNN | Jun 2, 2012, 02.45 AM IST

NEW DELHI: India asked the UK to ease visas for businessmen and entrepreneurs and students and the declining Indian investment climate and a burgeoning economic relationship with the UK formed part of the India-UK foreign office discussions, between foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai and his counterpart Simon Fraser. The engagement is important because the Indo-UK economic relationship is now several notches above political ties.

According to official sources, India said it was open to more investment from the UK. Bilateral trade in 2011-12 exceeded $16 billion up from $12.5 billion in 2010-11. The UK is the fourth largest investor in India, and New Delhi is the third largest investor in UK. About 700 Indian companies are operational in the UK.

Sources said there was an "extensive exchange of views on developments in West Asia, including Syria, the situation in Afghanistan and other developments in South Asia and Europe, including the Eurozone crisis".

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